AN: Hello everyone!!!!!!! Author here back for this week's latest updates!
Now we will return to Noah's arc and finally settle the Dormammu Chase Arc.
This might be a little longer than I expected, but I hope you will all like this.
So then, please leave your comments and give your rating for this!
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Non-Administrated World #97, Star Rail Universe…
Even though she is in a different universe, Hayate Yagami felt at home.
After the chaotic and exhausting trip from Pandora, the Sol Federation, and Midchilda… they had finally arrived at her alternate home world, Non-Administrated World #97—-Earth.
Yes, Earth. That was the name of her home world.
"…Another Earth, huh," she murmured, feeling a little strange.
After all, Sol had its own Earth, though it was now renamed to Terra. And with Noah's muttering things like, "This is definitely Aha's doing… This has to be THEIR idea of a joke—naming countless planets 'Earth.'"
…Honestly, she couldn't even argue with that.
For now, though, she let herself relax.
Together with Noah, Sirin, and Reinforce Zwei—along with the Astral Express crew of this universe, and the counterparts of herself, Nanoha, Fate, and the Wolkenritter—they were all gathered in Midori-ya.
The small café and bakery owned by Nanoha's family, in their hometown of Uminari City.
At the other end of the table, March 7th beamed in delight as she finished yet another plate of desserts.
"Mmm! This is soooo amazing! How is everything so good?!"
Momoko let out a gentle laugh as she handed her another plate. "I'm glad you like it."
Caelus stared at March in disbelief. "Woaah… just how many plates are you planning to eat before you're satisfied?"
March puffed her cheeks. "Excuse me? This is called appreciating good food, thank you very much!"
"Heh." Caelus snorted, rolling his eyes. "I can't wait to see your face once you check your wei—Gaffuu…!"
He suddenly slumped back into his seat, unable to finish his sentence.
"Ara? What happened, Caelus? Why did you suddenly lose consciousness?" March said with a sweet, caring smile. No one paid attention to the faint six-phase ice fading from her arms.
"…You're really brave, Caelus," Dan Heng said from the side, giving the unconscious boy a look that was both impressed and sympathetic.
"Fufufu, everyone sure is energetic~," Himeko said, fully relaxed as she sipped her drink and watched the scene unfold.
"Indeed." Welt adjusted his glasses, just as cool as ever… though even he seemed more relaxed than usual. "That is youth, I suppose."
'Looks like everyone is finally recovering from all the exhausting work we did to get Sol running again.'
Hayate mused as she took a small bite of her dessert. Just then, someone tapped her shoulder. When she turned, she found her younger self sitting beside her.
"Older me, aren't we going to stop that?" Hayate-chan asked, pointing toward the other corner of the café.
"Hmm?" Hayate tilted her head and followed her gaze.
...And then, her cheeks twitched lightly.
It wasn't just them; Sirin, Reinforce, along with this universe's Nanoha, Fate, Reinforce Zwei, and the Wolkenritter… were all watching the same thing.
The ongoing interrogation of Noah by Shiro Takamachi and Kyoya Takamachi.
Nanoha's father and older brother.
The atmosphere around the three of them was completely different from the rest of the café.
Kyoya and Shiro sat across from Noah, who, for once, looked genuinely awkward.
"...So, you are my daughter's husband in your universe." Shiro narrowed his eyes at Noah, the pressure behind his gaze unmistakable.
"Yes, sir," Noah answered without hesitation.
"...And from what we heard, it's not just her, right?" Kyoya added, his eyes twitching slightly. "Fate. Hayate. Them, too."
"...That's right," Noah replied, choosing his words carefully.
"All three of them?" Shiro's shoulder trembled slightly as his glare sharpened.
"...It's not just them." Noah met his eyes, not backing down.
The moment those words left his mouth, the older men let out a pressure strong enough to actually make Noah swallow.
"... Whoa, he really said it," Vita muttered, watching as Noah admitted everything so directly.
"...He is a man," Zaffira said with a firm nod, giving Noah a small approving look for not backing down.
Silence stretched for a moment, then both Shiro and Kyoya let out a deep sigh.
"…You've got guts. I'll give you that," Kyoya said.
"You understand why this is difficult for us to hear," Shiro added, his pressure easing for a bit, though his tone remained firm.
"...Believe it or not, I do understand, sir," Noah replied with a faint, wry smile.
His answer made Shiro raise his brow.
"Seigfried-san, Sii—ehem—Sirin and Kiana's father… gave me a very serious 'talk' about this." Noah let out a small chuckle at the memory. "He even brought out their family's treasured weapon, which literally can burn and destroy everything, just to make his point."
He met their eyes directly.
"So yes… I truly understand what both of you are feeling."
Shiro and Kyoya held his stare, finding no hesitation nor wavering. Just pure sincerity and trust.
"…Then what exactly are your intentions?" Shiro asked. "Toward my daughter… and her friends."
Noah didn't need a single second to think of an answer because he already had the answer for that.
"I'll always be by their side, in every step of the way… until the END of time."
Silence fell over the café.
Nanoha-chan's face flushed deep red at the sheer directness of it. Fate-chan and Hayate-chan weren't any better—their cheeks warmed just the same.
And they weren't the only ones.
The Wolkenritter, both versions of Reinforce, Sirin, the Astral Express crew, and even Momoko and Miyuki—all of them felt the feelings those words carried.
"…All right. I'll admit—that was cool," Miyuki said, scratching her warm cheeks with a grin.
"Ara, ara. Nanoha's counterpart really found an amazing person as her husband," Momoko said with a gentle smile. "I hope our own Nanoha finds her own Noah-kun someday."
"Mooom!" Nanoha-chan shouted in complete fluster. She couldn't believe what her mother had just said.
"Hmm, I could say the same with us," Shamal said warmly. "As long as our Hayate-chan is happy, that's what matters."
"I agree," Signum nodded. "If our Hayate could be together with Noah-dono, I would feel more at ease."
"Shamal?! Signum?!" Hayate-chan looked at them in surprise.
"How nice…" March murmured, sounding a little dreamy.
Caelus, who had woken up in the middle of Noah's interrogation, caught that. "Hmm… so our little March wants that kind of confession, too?"
"Of course!" March shot back, eyes sparkling. "No girl in the universe wouldn't want a confession that's basically a proposal!"
"I see," Caelus said simply.
"Hmm?" March looked at him in surprise. Then he saw him thinking hard… her cheeks unconsciously went red as a thought passed through her mind.
"…Eh? Ehhh?!"
Dan Heng just gave them a side glance, while Welt let out a soft chuckle.
"My~," Himeko gave them a knowing smile.
Looks like the peanut gallery is having its own fun.
"Haaaa… so he says, Dad," Kyoya said after a while, letting out a breath. "What's the verdict?"
Shiro nodded, letting out a long sigh before making a face.
"…He passes… barely."
"OHHHH!!!!!!" Everyone in the café erupted at once.
"Congratulations, Nanoha!" Miyuki grinned, already leaning over the counter.
"Ara~ how wonderful," Momoko clasped her hands together. "Our Nanoha is growing up so fast."
"Why are both of you congratulating me?! It's my counterpart who's marrying Noah-san—not me!!!" Nanoha-chan exclaimed, flustered. "Why am I getting dragged into this?!"
"S-should we prepare something…? Like a celebration?" Reinforce Zwei of this universe asked Shamal and Signum.
"That might be a good idea," Shamal nodded thoughtfully.
"I'll make the arrangements," Signum said without hesitation.
"…Please let this end already!" Nanoha-chan covered her face, completely overwhelmed.
"Just think of it as practice, Nanoha-chan… for when you meet your own Noah," Sirin said casually as she sipped her melon soda.
"PLEASE DON'T SAY IT LIKE THAT!!!" Nanoha-chan cried.
"There, there, Nanoha-chan…" Fate-chan said gently, patting her shoulder.
"Hmm," Hayate pursed her lips, taking a small bite of her roll cake. "Noah-kun is doing much better than I expected."
The younger Aces all turned to her with surprised expressions.
"Well, Noah had it pretty easy when he met Hachan and Fii's family back in our universe," Sirin explained.
"E-eto… what do you mean by that?" Fate-chan asked.
"The Wolkenritter in our universe—Shamal, Signum, Zafira, and Vita—accepted Noah without much resistance," Sirin replied. "Their priority was Hachan's happiness. And Rein was really comfortable around him, too, so that helped a lot."
"Ehem!" Reinforce placed her hands on her hips with a proud smile. "That's because Noah-san's presence feels like a warm sun."
"Yes, that's true!" Reinforce Zwei added quickly. "It's really comfortable being near him."
"And in Fate-chan's case—our Fate-chan—Chrono-kun became fast friends with him, and Lindy-san took quite a liking to Noah-kun," Hayate said with a teasing grin.
"We even joke that his tea-making skills impressed Lindy-san so much that she practically handed her daughter over to him."
"E-ehh…" Fate-chan's cheeks turned red.
—----
After spending a comfortable afternoon in Midori-ya, they stepped out just as the sun began to set. The evening air of Uminari City was cool, carrying the faint scent of the sea on the breeze. Streetlights went on one by one as the group headed toward the temporary residence TSAB had prepared for them.
Shamal and Signum walked alongside Himeko and Welt.
"This world is classified as Non-Administrated," Shamal explained. "TSAB maintains minimal interference here. We follow a strict 'Non-Interference and Monitoring' protocol for worlds under this classification."
Himeko raised a brow. "So your organization simply observes this world and does nothing else?"
"Correct," Signum answered. "The TSAB recognizes these worlds as independent and holds no legal authority to enforce its laws or govern their people."
"That's quite rare," Welt said thoughtfully. "Usually, when a powerful civilization encounters a weaker one, it either absorbs it… or places it under its influence."
Shamal let out a light laugh. "That does seem to be the case for many civilizations—but fortunately, TSAB is not one of them. Our agents are prohibited from interfering with a world's cultural or technological development. It's similar to a 'Prime Directive.' The existence of interdimensional travel and magic must remain hidden from the local populace."
Himeko's smile softened. "A respectable stance."
Caelus and March are posing together with Vita using March's camera.
"Wait, wait—no, tilt your head a bit more!" March instructed, stepping back with exaggerated seriousness.
"Like this?" Caelus asked, striking an overly dramatic hero pose.
"He looks stupid," Vita deadpanned.
"It looks cool!" March shot back immediately.
Vita gave her a flat, judging look.
"…W-what?" March faltered under the stare.
"...Idiot couple," Vita sighed, but still took the shot, ignoring the blush creeping at March's cheeks.
Reinforce Zwei floated over, eyes twinkling with excitement.
"Oooh~ Caelus-san, that pose looks like you're about to shout something heroic!" she said happily.
"I am heroic!" Caelus protested.
Reinforce Zwei giggled. "Then at least look like you believe it!"
Vita snorted.
"Next one! Group shot!" March declared, grabbing Vita by the shoulder before she could slip away.
"Oi—! I didn't agree to this—!"
Click.
Reinforce Zwei leaned in to check the screen over Vita's shoulder.
"Ehehe~ Vita-chan, you blinked!"
"I did not!"
"You did~! Just a little~!" Reinforce Zwei teased, poking Vita's cheek before zipping away mid-air.
"Rein!"
March laughed. "Perfect. I'm sending this to the group chat."
"Don't you dare—" Vita started.
Too late.
A notification chimed from multiple devices.
Reinforce Zwei clasped her hands together, delighted. "Ah! It's spreading already!"
"Reinforce, stop encouraging her!" Vita snapped.
"But it's cute!" Reinforce Zwei insisted brightly. "Memories are important, Vita-chan!"
Vita crossed her arms and huffed, while March grinned victoriously.
A short distance behind the others, Dan Heng walked beside Zafira at a slower pace. Unlike the lively chatter ahead of them, their conversation was subdued and more serious.
"With this world classified as Non-Administrated, how did TSAB become aware of it in the first place?" Dan Heng asked.
Zafira gave a low hum. "It began because of an ancient wish‑fulfilling artifact known as the Jewel Seeds."
"…Wish‑fulfilling?" Dan Heng repeated, one brow lifting slightly.
"Yes." Zafira nodded. "A grieving mother sought a way to resurrect her deceased daughter. In her desperation, she triggered a transport incident that scattered the Jewel Seeds across this world."
Dan Heng's eyes widened briefly before settling back into their usual expression.
"She then sent her child to retrieve those seeds," Zafira continued. His attention went toward Fate‑chan walking with Nanoha‑chan and Hayate‑chan.
"And that child… did everything she could to earn her mother's approval. But…" He exhaled.
"If there was any good that came from it, it was that she met people who truly cared for her… and loved her."
Dan Heng followed his eyes.
"…That's good," he said softly. "She finally found the salvation she deserved."
Then Hayate and Rein started pointing out the similarities between this universe's Uminari City and their own.
"It's almost the same," Hayate said, looking around as they walked. "How nostalgic… even the convenience store down that street is still there."
Rein, sitting on Noah's shoulder, leaned forward and pointed eagerly. "Hayate-chan, there! Look at the riverbank! Even the air smells the same~!"
Sirin smiled wryly, glancing around with mild curiosity. "You're telling me even the convenience stores and the smell of the river are identical?"
"Ahahaha, more or less," Hayate replied with a soft laugh. "Even though this isn't our world… I don't feel out of place at all."
Rein nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Yes! It's like coming home after a long mission!"
She squinted toward the distance.
"Oh! And the old vending machine near the park should still be there, too! The one that always eats coins~!"
Hayate giggled. "Rein, that machine only ate your coins because you kept pressing every button at once."
"It was conducting thorough testing!" Rein protested with a put.
Sirin chuckled in amusement. "You two really treat this place like your backyard."
"In a way, it is," Hayate replied gently. "We grew up here. Fought here. Cried here."
Rein nods enthusiastically.
"And laughed here."
Hayate nodded, her expression warm.
"Yes… and laughed here."
Noah slipped his hands into his pockets, his eyes going over the rows of houses and their warm-lit windows. "Then, when we return to our universe, let's visit your home too."
"…Noah-kun." Hayate looked at him, a little surprised.
He smiled gently. "I want to see the world that shaped Hachan, Non, and Fii with my own eyes."
Hayate's expression brightened at once. "Then I'll do my best to be your guide!"
"I'll do my best too!" Rein raised her hand enthusiastically from his shoulder.
Sirin smirked faintly. "For that to happen, you'll need to survive Nonon's father and brother first."
"Ughhh…" Noah groaned dramatically, earning soft laughter from Hayate and Rein.
A few steps behind them, the younger Aces—this universe's Nanoha, Fate, and Hayate—were still talking about what had happened at Nanoha's family café.
"Ughh… I can't believe it… I'm only thirteen, and my whole family acted like I was about to get married," Nanoha-chan groaned, covering her face with both hands.
Fate-chan giggled softly. "Your mom was really excited."
"She was glowing," Hayate-chan added with a teasing grin. "I thought she was going to bring out a cake."
"Don't remind me!" Nanoha-chan protested. "Papa even gave him that serious look—like he was evaluating him!"
Fate-chan tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well… he did say something very close to a proposal."
Nanoha-chan covered her face again. "T-that w-was him answering Papa's question about Noah-san's intentions toward the other me!"
"Was it?" Hayate-chan hummed mischievously.
Nanoha-chan peeked through her fingers. "Yes!"
Fate-chan smiled gently. "But… he seemed sincere."
Nanoha-chan slowly stopped squirming. "…Yeah."
They walked in silence for a few steps, evening lights reflecting softly in their eyes.
Hayate-chan nudged Nanoha-chan with her shoulder. "Still, it was nice… I could understand why the older me likes him."
Nanoha-chan glanced at her. Even Fate-chan's attention went toward the older Noah walking ahead with Hayate, Rein, and Sirin.
"He feels very… warm," she added softly.
Nanoha-chan followed her line of sight.
"…Yeah."
Hayate-chan clasped her hands behind her back, looking up at the darkening sky.
"I guess when you see something like that… you can't help but wonder."
She peeked at the two beside her.
"Do you think we'll also find our own Noah-san in our universe?"
The question came out shy, almost hesitant.
Nanoha-chan blinked while Fate-chan's fingers tightened around her skirt.
"…Maybe?" Nanoha-chan replied, surprised by the hope in her own voice. "…I kind of hope so."
Then the three of them looked toward the laughing group ahead—Hayate, Rein, Sirin, and Noah. Rein sat comfortably on Noah's shoulder, humming to herself while he chatted with Hayate and Sirin.
The four of them looked completely relaxed. Even from a distance, the younger Aces could see how natural their bond was—the way Noah glanced at Sirin and Hayate, how he adjusted Rein so she wouldn't slip, the way Sirin held his arm without hesitation, and how Hayate laced her fingers with his as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
" " "…How nice." " "
The words left all three of them at the same time. They blinked and then turned to one another. No explanation was needed. They understood what the others were thinking.
"To experience the same happiness, one that won't lose to our older counterparts!" Nanoha-chan clenched her fists, determination rising in her chest.
"No matter where he is in the universe!" Fate-chan added, her voice clear and bright.
"We'll give everything we've got to find our own Noah!" Hayate-chan declared, eyes shining with resolve.
"Yeaah!!!!"
The three friends shouted together, their laughter spilling into the evening air.
————
Somewhere in the Star Rail universe…
A boy no older than thirteen suddenly sneezed, not just once nor twice, but three times, in quick succession.
"…Huh?" He rubbed his nose and glanced around his workshop, frowning at the cluttered tables and scattered blueprints. "That's weird. Is someone talking about me?"
The answer came in the form of a loud BANG. The workshop door slammed open so hard it rattled the shelves.
"Woooaaa???! "
The boy nearly tripped over a rolled blueprint as he spun toward the entrance, barely catching himself before face‑planting into a half‑assembled device.
Standing there was someone very familiar—Olga Marie Animusphere. A beautiful girl with long white hair and golden-amber eyes, about his age… and someone he called a friend.
Though she would absolutely deny that title with full tsundere force.
She was panting heavily, as if she had sprinted across half the city.
"What the heck, Marie?!" he snapped, straightening up. "Why are you suddenly bursting into my workshop like that?! Do you know how dangerous this place is?!"
"Huff… I'll apologize later… huff… or whatever you want, Noah…" Marie shot back between breaths. "But right now, come with me and stop those two idiots!"
Noah raised a brow. "Idiots? Which idiots?"
Marie rolled her eyes so hard it almost looked painful.
"Rin and Luvia are at it again! They started arguing over something tiny and escalated it!"
Noah waved a hand dismissively. "And here I thought something serious had happened. It's just their usual thing."
Marie stomped her foot hard enough to shake a nearby wrench off the table.
"Idiot! I wouldn't run all the way here if it were just the usual thing!"
Noah looked at her with a dry expression, and Marie pointed a finger at him.
"They brought out the Kaleidosticks that Lord Zelretch lent them!"
"…What?" Noah turned fully toward her, dumbfounded.
"What did you just say?"
Marie grit her teeth, barely holding back frustration.
"Rin and Luvia brought out Ruby and Sapphire in their fight! We have to stop them before they tear down the entire Clock Tower!"
"By the Root…" Noah slowly dragged a hand down his face. "…Of course. The moment they get their hands on a powerful artifact, they turn it into a competition."
[This might sound improper, but I am beginning to question the Grand Master's decision-making process.]
A calm voice chimed in between them.
Beside Noah, a silver square device floated into view. Its surface is smooth and polished. A small transparent screen lit up with a flat, unimpressed emoji.
Noah smirked at it.
"Heeeh. Isn't this interesting? My own grandfather's creation — the Kaleidogear, Argent — questioning his judgment. I'll remember to bring that up next time I see him."
The emoji switched into a more pronounced deadpan.
Marie threw her hands up. "You can debate family politics later! Do something!"
Noah sighed.
"Fine, fine. I'll deal with them."
He grabbed the belt from his desk and tied it around him casually.
"Let's go, Argent. Before those two accidentally rip open a dimensional tear and summon something that shouldn't exist."
[Probability of it actually happening: 63%.]
Marie stared. "…That's not comforting."
Noah shrugged. "Then we'd better hurry."
The three of them rushed out of the workshop — the distant sound of magical explosions could already be heard from the distance.
Somewhere ahead, two familiar voices were very loudly declaring victory over one another. And the Clock Tower… was about to regret lending artifacts to teenagers.
—-----
Inside her bedroom, a blonde-haired girl around fifteen or sixteen sat at her desk, quill scratching lightly across parchment, and then… she suddenly froze.
Her pale silver eyes slowly began to glow with a faint blue light. The quill slipped from her fingers.
"…Sister, I wanted to ask about Hogwarts—"
The door creaked open, and a boy two years younger than her stepped inside. He stopped mid-sentence the moment he saw her.
Her eyes were unfocused and distant, like she was watching something no one else could see.
His eyes widened.
"Mom! Dad! Sister is getting a vision!!!"
He bolted out of the room.
"What?!" a woman's voice was heard down the hall, followed by hurried footsteps.
Within seconds, a woman in her early thirties rushed in.
"Cyrus, are you sure?"
"Yes, Mom," Cyrus said quickly, guiding her inside.
The woman stopped at the sight of her daughter.
"Oh… my dear Pandora…"
Pandora sat still on her seat, eyes glowing, her breathing shallow, almost fragile. Moments later, another set of steps approached. An older man appeared at the doorway, slightly out of breath.
"Izzy… how is she?"
"She's still in a trance," the woman replied softly.
The man stepped inside, placing a reassuring arm around his wife's shoulder while resting a hand on his son's head.
They continued to wait, and after several long seconds, Pandora's eyes fluttered. The blue light faded. She blinked rapidly, as if returning from a great distance, then pressed a hand to her temple.
Her mother was at her side immediately.
"Pandora, how do you feel? Any discomfort?"
"I'm fine, Mom," Pandora said softly.
She inhaled slowly, trying to calm herself. Then her expression sharpened.
"Dad… you might need to contact Lord Potter."
Her father frowned slightly. "Lord Potter? Why?"
"The one who will save us from the Dark Lord has already arrived," Pandora said. "And he is connected to the ancestors of the Potters."
Silence fell in the room. Her parents exchanged a look.
Her father exhaled slowly.
"I will try to get in touch with him," he said. "But you know our position. Our family aligns with the Gray. The Potters stand firmly in the Light. I am not that optimistic."
"At least we have a better chance than most," her mother said gently. "They may have stopped appearing regularly at the Wizengamot… but you still work alongside Fleamont Potter at the Department of Mysteries."
Her father gave a faint smile.
"Fleamont is reasonable. Lord Charlus Potter, however…" He shook his head lightly. "That man carries the presence of a true lion."
He straightened.
"Still. I will do my best."
"Thank you, Dad," Pandora said with a small, sincere smile.
Then she turned toward her mother.
"Mom… we need to go to London. They will appear there soon. It would be better if he met us under favorable circumstances."
Her mother nodded slowly. "You intend to make a good first impression."
"Yes," Pandora clasped her hands together.
"A connection with him will clear some of our family's name. If we approach him properly… it may give us a better public image."
Her voice softened for a bit.
"And… he seems to be a reasonable person."
Her father's eyes widened "Did you see him clearly?"
Pandora hesitated for a moment then shook her head. "…Not clearly."
She looked toward the window. "But his presence feels like the sun… depending on who interacts with him, he could be a gentle light that nourishes life or a scorching fire that burns everything."
The room fell silent. Outside, the wind rattled the windows of her room.
"Then we need to prepare," her father said firmly.
Pandora let out a deep breath. "…Yes."
In Uminari City, the Astral Express crew continued their peaceful evening, unaware of the ripples their presence had caused.
The threads of fate had already been pulled towards a different direction.
======